Page 24 - Cadet Review Spring 2023

YNW ACF
SECOND LIEUTENANT MARY HOOD
By Major Mick Bell
It was with great sadness that the County received the news that one of our own, 2Lt Mary Hood (SI as was), had passed away on Tuesday the 27th of December 2022 after a hard fought battle against breast cancer.
Mary, the sister of our County RSM Austin Butler, will be remembered for many things. She was the epitome of the selfless Adult Volunteer, who willingly took on any task passed her way, giving each job 100% effort and worked to the highest standards. Mary was known as Mrs reliable, if you wanted an admin job doing properly ask Mary.
Mary took on multiple jobs with YNW ACF, although she was predominately part of the E Company HQ Admin Team; she was also a key member of the County Public Relations Team. Mary became a subject matter expert on the BTEC award, to such a degree that she was recognised nationally for her outstanding contribution to CVQO.
She attended the CVQO National Awards Ceremony held at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the October of 2019, where she was awarded a Certificate of Recognition of Outstanding Contribution to CVQO. The certificate was presented by The Right Honourable The Lord Lingfield Kt DL DLitt, Chairman CVQO Board of Trustees, which was well deserved recognition of Mary’s dedication to the Cadets under her care in Yorkshire (N&W) ACF.
Mary had the happy knack of being able to communicate easily with cadets, getting her subject across to them and inspiring them to achieve. Her friendly and easy going nature endeared her to all her colleagues and Mary always had a smile for everyone she met.
Mary was a bundle of energy and brought a smile to everyone she met
In her time with YNW ACF Mary managed a couple of training trips outside of the County. In April of 2019 she was selected as part of the Admin/Welfare Team who accompanied a group of cadets to the Rock of Gibraltar, for a combined adventure training and military training exercise. This was a joint YNW, HSY and CCF venture. In the summer of 2019 Mary travelled to Northern Ireland, Ballykinler Camp
for the YNW 2019 Annual Camp, using her Admin, Welfare and PR skills during the two weeks of camp.
Mary served with YNW ACF from November 2014 to August 2021 before transferring to Queen Ethel- burga’s College CCF, where she was encouraged to apply for a commission and successfully passed her board in August 2021. She served as a 2Lt CCF and carried on with her adventures with the CCF, going on a third overseas deployment, this time to Cyprus with HSY ACF on Exercise Ares Challenge, which was a combined HSY, YNW, CCF military and adventure training exercise in sunny Cyprus.
Mary was a bundle of energy and brought a smile to everyone she met. She will be greatly missed by all who served with her in Yorkshire (N&W) ACF, Humberside and South Yorkshire ACF and Queen Ethelburga’s College CCF. We would all like to pass on our sincere condolences to Mary’s family at this very sad time for them.
24 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2023